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Smoke affects lung growth, gene expression
Issue date: 4/17/08
The lung cells were subjected to oxidative stress, a negative effect of reactive oxygen introduced by toxic materials in the environment.
Cell death was also noticed by the researchers, at a much higher frequency than ever noticed in adult mice, suggesting that neonatal lungs are much more sensitive to cigarette smoke than adult lungs.
The study also led to another surprising observation: Cigarette smoke affects gene expression in the lung cells. It was found that 754 genes were repressed, or expressed at lower levels than normal, due to smoke.
Ten percent of these are genes involved in the immune system of the lung. These genes code for proteins called interferons, which are produced in response to pathogens in the body.
Thus, lungs become more susceptible to foreign agents like viruses and bacteria, and more prone to infection.
The researchers concluded that exposure to cigarette smoke in the early years of life significantly damages lungs more than exposure in the later years of life, affecting the growth, function and immunity of the lungs.
The effects of early exposure to cigarette smoke are more lasting, and, in humans, much more detrimental than later exposure.
Cell death was also noticed by the researchers, at a much higher frequency than ever noticed in adult mice, suggesting that neonatal lungs are much more sensitive to cigarette smoke than adult lungs.
The study also led to another surprising observation: Cigarette smoke affects gene expression in the lung cells. It was found that 754 genes were repressed, or expressed at lower levels than normal, due to smoke.
Ten percent of these are genes involved in the immune system of the lung. These genes code for proteins called interferons, which are produced in response to pathogens in the body.
Thus, lungs become more susceptible to foreign agents like viruses and bacteria, and more prone to infection.
The researchers concluded that exposure to cigarette smoke in the early years of life significantly damages lungs more than exposure in the later years of life, affecting the growth, function and immunity of the lungs.
The effects of early exposure to cigarette smoke are more lasting, and, in humans, much more detrimental than later exposure.
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Phil
posted 4/18/08 @ 1:04 PM EST
Someone should show this to the people who are still spreading around old tobacco company propaganda. I still see links to sites that claim that exposure to secondhand smoke has some sort of "protective" affect on kids. (Continued…)
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